International Bull Terrier Day

April 1st may be best known as a day for playing practical jokes, but to many dog lovers the date is also a time to celebrate a canine that is practically perfect– the Bull Terrier! In honor of International Bull Terrier Day, we’ve fetched a few fun facts about the breed whose members are affectionately referred to as “class clowns.”

Famous Bull Terrier Pet Parents

General Patton’s Bull Terrier Willie, wearing his Army dog tag. Public Domain photo.

General George S. Patton

He may have been known as “Old Blood and Guts,” but General Patton was all heart when it came to his four-legged friends.

A pet parent over the years to several Bull Terriers (including a dog dubbed Tank), it was his canine companion Willie who stayed by his side during the dark days of World War II.

Welcoming Willie into his life after the dog’s previous human, a British Royal Air Force officer, never returned from a mission, Patton grew so fond of his barking buddy that he once threw a birthday party for the Bully.

Willie wore a regulation Army dog tag; Willie continues to be one of the most famous Bull Terriers of all time.

Princess Anne

Queen Elizabeth may be synonymous with the Corgi, but her daughter the Princess Royal favors the Bull Terrier to be members of her fur family. Two of her royal dogs have been named Dolly and Florence.

Theodore Roosevelt

Although opinion varies, it is believed by many that Pete, one of the 26th President of the United States’ dogs, was a Bull Terrier.

Famous Bull Terriers

Patsy Ann

In 1934, a deaf Bull Terrier named Patsy Ann was declared “The Official Greeter of Juneau.”

Although the sociable Spot passed away in 1942, Patsy Ann’s friendly face still greets visitors of Alaska’s capital city thanks to a group of dog devotees known as The Friends of Patsy Ann.

Artist Anna Burke Harris created the bronze likeness of the beloved Bull Terrier, which has silently welcomed tourists disembarking cruise ships on the dock since 1992. (Dog lovers can dig up the true tale of Juneau’s famous Fido by reading Patsy Ann of Alaska: The True Story of a Dog by Tricia Brown.)

Bullseye

A long-running marketing campaign that really hit the mark among its canine-loving customers, the shopping franchise Target introduced a Bull Terrier dubbed Bullseye as the company mascot.

Over the years there have been several Bull Terriers who have stepped into the role of Bullseye, including Smudgie and NIkki.

Spuds MacKenzie

In the 1980s a female Bull Terrier called Honey Tree Evil Eye helped to sell suds as the popular Bud Light beer mascot Spuds MacKenzie.

More Bull Terrier Trivia

Long live Bull Terriers! The average life span of this breed ranges from 10 – 14 years.

Although the Bull Terrier may hold the top spot in the hearts of many dog devotees, the breed ranks 61st on the American Kennel Club’s list of the most popular dog breeds.

The Bull Terrier is known by several sweet sobriquets, including the White Cavalier, Gentleman’s Companion, Class Clown, Pig-Dog and Wedge Head.

A white Bull Terrier by the name of Haymarket Faultless was deemed Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in 1918. Following Haymarket Faultless’s success top dog honors eluded the breed until Rocky Top’s Sundance Kid, a red and white bull terrier, took home the honor in 2006.

The Bull Terrier’s coat comes in many colors, including black, brindle, fawn, red, red smut, tricolor (black, red and white) and white.

Adopting a Bull Terrier

If you are pondering the prospect of welcoming a Bull Terrier into your heart and home, you can find the dog of your dreams at a breed-specific dog rescue.

You can also search for adoptable Bull Terriers online at:

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Grace Sydney

Grace Sydney is the Assistant Editor of DogTipper.com and CatTipper.com, covering celebrity-related rescue news. She operates the @HollywoodDogs Twitter account sharing information on celebrity fundraising for rescues and shelters.